Since 2000, the Latino vote has taken on an increased importance in national elections. Presidential candidates from George W. Bush to Barack Obama have made considerable efforts to appeal to this important voting bloc through media advertisements and “get out the vote” efforts. In 2008, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson became the first major Latino candidate to run for president of the United States and remains the most influential Latino leader in America. Moreover, President Obama made history when he nominated a Latina, Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2009. Where are the twenty-first-century Latino leaders going to come from? In state legislatures across the country, Latinos are increasingly making their presence known. It is from these state legislatures that the next Latino governor, U.S. Senator, or President of the United States will likely emerge. As such, it is all the more important and timely to understand the conditions under which Latinos are elected to these legislative institutions. This is the first book to demonstrate that Latino representation is shaped not merely by demographic increases, but also by important institutional differences among state legislatures.

As the 2010 Census ends and redistricting commissions begin to draw legislative districts, scholars and policy makers can turn to the findings in this book to ascertain the probability of electing Latinos in districts based on the percentage of Latinos and Latino citizens in such districts. Gerrymandering and the creation of majority-minority districts are controversial and increasingly regulated by the courts.